English Synonyms and Antonyms Part 29

Prepositions:

Break _to_ pieces, or _in_ pieces, _into_ several pieces (when the object is thought of as divided rather than shattered); break _with_ a friend; _from_ or _away from_ a suppliant; break _into_ a house; _out of_ prison; break _across_ one's knee; break _through_ a hedge; break _in upon_ one's retirement; break _over_ the rules; break _on_ or _upon_ the sh.o.r.e, _against_ the rocks.

BRUTISH.

Synonyms:

animal, brutal, ignorant, sensual, swinish, base, brute, imbruted, sottish, unintellectual, beastly, carnal, insensible, stolid, unspiritual, b.e.s.t.i.a.l, coa.r.s.e, lascivious, stupid, vile.

A _brutish_ man simply follows his _animal_ instincts, without special inclination to do harm; the _brutal_ have always a spirit of malice and cruelty. _Brute_ has no special character, except as indicating what a brute might possess; much the same is true of _animal_, except that _animal_ leans more to the side of sensuality, _brute_ to that of force, as appears in the familiar phrase "_brute_ force." Hunger is an _animal_ appet.i.te; a _brute_ impulse suddenly prompts one to strike a blow in anger. _b.e.s.t.i.a.l_, in modern usage, implies an intensified and degrading animalism. Any supremacy of the _animal_ or _brute_ instincts over the intellectual and spiritual in man is _base_ and _vile_. _Beastly_ refers largely to the outward and visible consequences of excess; as, _beastly_ drunkenness. Compare ANIMAL.

Antonyms:

elevated, exalted, great, intellectual, n.o.ble, enlightened, grand, humane, intelligent, refined.

BURN.

Synonyms:

blaze, char, flame, incinerate, set fire to, brand, consume, flash, kindle, set on fire, cauterize, cremate, ignite, scorch, singe.

To _burn_ is to subject to the action of fire, or of intense heat so as to effect either partial change or complete combustion; as, to _burn_ wood in the fire; to _burn_ one's hand on a hot stove; the sun _burns_ the face. One _brands_ with a hot iron, but _cauterizes_ with some corrosive substance, as silver nitrate. _Cremate_ is now used specifically for _consuming_ a dead body by intense heat. To _incinerate_ is to reduce to ashes; the sense differs little from that of _cremate_, but it is in less popular use. To _kindle_ is to _set on fire_, as if with a candle; _ignite_ is the more learned and scientific word for the same thing, extending even to the heating of metals to a state of incandescence without burning. To _scorch_ and to _singe_ are superficial, and to _char_ usually so. Both _kindle_ and _burn_ have an extensive figurative use; as, to _kindle_ strife; to _burn_ with wrath, love, devotion, curiosity. Compare LIGHT.

Antonyms:

cool, extinguish, put out, smother, stifle, subdue.

Prepositions:

To burn _in_ the fire, burn _with_ fire; burn _to_ the ground, burn _to_ ashes; burn _through_ the skin, or the roof; burn _into_ the soil, etc.

BUSINESS.

Synonyms:

affair, commerce, handicraft, trading, art, concern, job, traffic, avocation, craft, occupation, transaction, barter, duty, profession, vocation, calling, employment, trade, work.

A _business_ is what one follows regularly; an _occupation_ is what he happens at any time to be engaged in; trout-fishing may be one's _occupation_ for a time, as a relief from _business_; _business_ is ordinarily for profit, while the _occupation_ may be a matter of learning, philanthropy, or religion. A _profession_ implies scholarship; as, the learned _professions_. _Pursuit_ is an _occupation_ which one follows with ardor. An _avocation_ is what calls one away from other work; a _vocation_ or _calling_, that to which one is called by some special fitness or sense of duty; thus, we speak of the gospel ministry as a _vocation_ or _calling_, rather than a _business_. _Trade_ or _trading_ is, in general, the exchanging of one thing for another; in the special sense, a _trade_ is an _occupation_ involving manual training and skilled labor; as, the ancient Jews held that every boy should learn a _trade_. A _transaction_ is a single action, whether in _business_, diplomacy, or otherwise; _affair_ has a similar, but lighter meaning; as, this little _affair_; an important _transaction_. The plural _affairs_ has a distinctive meaning, including all activities where men deal with one another on any considerable scale; as, a man of _affairs_. A _job_ is a piece of work viewed as a single undertaking, and ordinarily paid for as such. _Trade_ and _commerce_ may be used as equivalents, but _trade_ is capable of a more limited application; we speak of the _trade_ of a village, the _commerce_ of a nation. _Barter_ is the direct exchange of commodities; _business_, _trade_, and _commerce_ are chiefly transacted by means of money, bills of exchange, etc. _Business_, _occupation_, etc., may be what one does independently; _employment_ may be in the service of another. _Work_ is any application of energy to secure a result, or the result thus secured; thus, we speak of the _work_ of G.o.d. _Art_ in the industrial sense is a system of rules and accepted methods for the accomplishment of some practical result; as, the _art_ of printing; collectively, the _arts_. A _craft_ is some occupation requiring technical skill or manual dexterity, or the persons, collectively, engaged in its exercise; as, the weaver's _craft_.

Prepositions:

The business _of_ a druggist; in business _with_ his father; doing business _for_ his father; have you business _with_ me? business _in_ New York; business _about_, _concerning_, or _in regard to_ certain property.

BUT.

Synonyms:

and, however, notwithstanding, that, barely, just, only, tho, besides, merely, provided, unless, except, moreover, save, yet.

further, nevertheless, still,

_But_ ranges from the faintest contrast to absolute negation; as, I am willing to go, _but_ (on the other hand) content to stay; he is not an honest man, _but_ (on the contrary) a villain. The contrast may be with a silent thought; as, _but_ let us go (it being understood that we might stay longer). In restrictive use, _except_ and _excepting_ are slightly more emphatic than _but_; we say, no injury _but_ a scratch; or, no injury _except_ some painful bruises. Such expressions as "words are _but_ breath" (nothing _but_) may be referred to the restrictive use by ellipsis. So may the use of _but_ in the sense of _unless_; as, "it never rains _but_ it pours." To the same head must be referred the conditional use; as, "you may go, _but_ with your father's consent" (_i.

e._, "_provided_ you have," "_except_ that you must have," etc.). "Doubt _but_" is now less used than the more logical "doubt _that_." _But_ never becomes a full synonym for _and_; _and_ adds something like, _but_ adds something different; "brave _and_ tender" implies that tenderness is natural to the brave; "brave _but_ tender" implies that bravery and tenderness are rarely combined. For the concessive use, compare NOTWITHSTANDING.

BY.

Synonyms:

by dint of, by means of, through, with.

_By_ refers to the agent; _through_, to the means, cause, or condition; _with_, to the instrument. _By_ commonly refers to persons; _with_, to things; _through_ may refer to either. The road having become impa.s.sable _through_ long disuse, a way was opened _by_ pioneers _with_ axes. _By_ may, however, be applied to any object which is viewed as partaking of action and agency; as, the metal was corroded _by_ the acid; skill is gained _by_ practise. We speak of communicating _with_ a person _by_ letter. _Through_ implies a more distant connection than _by_ or _with_, and more intervening elements. Material objects are perceived _by_ the mind _through_ the senses.

CABAL.

Synonyms:

combination, confederacy, crew, gang, conclave, conspiracy, faction, junto.

A _conspiracy_ is a _combination_ of persons for an evil purpose, or the act of so combining. _Conspiracy_ is a distinct crime under common, and generally under statutory, law. A _faction_ is more extensive than a _conspiracy_, less formal in organization, less definite in plan.

_Faction_ and its adjective, _factious_, have always an unfavorable sense. _Cabal_ commonly denotes a _conspiracy_ of leaders. A _gang_ is a company of workmen all doing the same work under one leader; the word is used figuratively only of _combinations_ which it is meant to stigmatize as rude and mercenary; _crew_ is used in a closely similar sense. A _conclave_ is secret, but of larger numbers, ordinarily, than a _cabal_, and may have honorable use; as, the _conclave_ of cardinals.

CALCULATE.